Log rolling or birling machines



April 5, 1960 D. H. DAVIES 2,931,648

LOG ROLLING 0R BIRLING MACHINES Filed June 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 X gI J QII HWW 9 min. a a I/ 0 INVENTOR. DAVlD HECTOR DAVIES AT TORNEYApril 5, 1960 D. H. DAVIES 2,931,648

LOG ROLLING OR BIRLING MACHINES Filed June 18', 1959 2 Sheets'-Sheet 2 5I6, I IS IN V EN TOR.

DAVID HECTOR DAVIES ATTORNEY Uni ed S es Pat-6m IO LOG ROLLING R BIRLINGMACHINES David Hector Davies, Coral Gables, Fla.

Application June 18, 1959, Serial No. 821,210

7 Claims. (Cl. 272-1) This invention relates to an amusement device andhas particular reference to a device to be supported in a floatingmanner upon a body of water.

The invention has particular reference to an amusement device of thetype commonly recognized as log rolling or birling, such being a wellknown water sport originally employing floating logs upon which personsattempt to stand while rolling the log with the feet. This applicationis a continuation-in-part of my application filed June 25, 1958, hearingSerial No. 744,535, now abandoned and entitled Log Rolling Or BirlingMachines.

The invention contemplates a pair of spaced apart floats that arefixedly connected together by a depending keel forming device and withan elongated cylinder being rotatably journaled with respect to eachfloat and whereby persons may climb upon the float from either end, tostand upon the cylinder and, by rolling the cylinder with the feet,attempt to dislodge a competitor who may be standing upon the oppositeend or, the device may he obviously used as an amusement device for anindividual.

The invention further contemplates a pair of molded polystyrene floatshaving depending portions that are connected by a common keel device andwith each of the floats having a shaft fixedly disposed therein, andwith each of the shafts being in axial alignment whereby to rotatablysupport the cylinder.

The invention further contemplates locking means between the cylinderends and the floats and whereby the cylinder may be held againstrotation to permit persons to step from the float surfaces to thecylinder, after which the locking means is released and the cylinderthen becomes freely rotatable.

Novel features of construction and operation of the.

device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whereinhas been illustrated a preferred form of the invention andwherein likecharacters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout theseveral figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructed in accordance withthe invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is an inner end view of one float, with a rotating cylinderremoved, a

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rotating cylinder,

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 5-5 of Figure1,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line 6-6 ofFigure 1 and,

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates floatdevices, that are preferably molded from a suitable buoyant material,such for instance as expanded polystyrene, The float devices embodyoppositely extending wing portions 6 and a centrally and vertically2,931,648 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 arranged web portion 7. The floats 5 aresubstantially flat upon their upper surfaces. Fixedly connected to theweb portions 7 is a vertically arranged keel 8. The keel at its oppositeend is bolted to the web 7, as indicated at 9. The keel embodies a pairof spaced apart side walls 10, a bottom 11 and longitudinally extendingreinforcing webs 12, that are connected to the sides 10.

Molded into the floats 5, intermediate their width, are hubs 13 alsopreferably being formed of a suitable plastic and bonded into the floatsS as they are formed. Each of the hubs 13 are provided with a cylinderflange 14. The flanges 14 of the hubs 13 are provided with axiallyarranged metallic shaft sections 15. The shaft sections 15 at one endare molded into the hubs 13 and with the shafts 15 being axiallyarranged. Reinforcing pins 16 pass through one end of each of the shafts15 at a right angle to each other and whereby to prevent disengagementof the shaft with respect to the hubs.

Rotatably supported upon the shafts 15, is an elongated cylinder 17. Thecylinder 17 is formed of any suitable material calculated to withstandthe weight of a person standing thereon and the cylinder may be formedof any suitable light weight metal, such as aluminum, that has a highdegree of resistance to corrosion.

person slipping therefrom during the act of stepping upon the cylinder.The cylinder constitutes a roller. The cylinder at its opposite ends isprovided with bearing inserts 18, that have journaled engagement withthe forward extended ends of the shaft sections 16.

Any suitable means may be provided to lock the cylinder againstrotation, during such time as a person attempts to step thereon from thefloats 5 and one form of locking means has been illustrated particularlyin Figures 6 and 7. Such locking means includes a lever 19 at each endof the cylinder. The lever 19 is pivotally supported at 20, upon a fixedbracket 21 disposed within the opposite ends of the cylinder and betweenthe spokes of the bearings 18. The lever 19 extends upwardly through aslot 22, formed in the end portions of the cylinder and in the lockingposition, engages a notch 23, formed in the flanges 14. The lever 19 isprovided with a relatively wide head portion 24, for convenientoperation and whereby to offer no obstacle that would possibly causeinjury to a person mounting the device, The slot 22 terminates inwardlyin an enlarged opening 25, formed in the cylinder and whereby to receivethe head 24-, when the lever 19 is swung to the inoperative position,such position disposing the lever and the head, substantially flush withthe outer surface of the cylinder 17. The lever 19 is held in either theoperative or inoperative position by a spring 26, connected at one endto the lever, while its opposite end is connected to the bracket 21. Thespring constitutes a past center holding means for the lever 19. r

.In the use of the device, with the floats and the keel being assembled,with the cylinder 17 being supported upon the shafts 15, the device isthen ready to be placed within the water. When disposed in the water,the floats 5 wi'llfloat substantially horizontal upon the surface of thewater, while the keel 8 functions to maintain the floats evenlysupported. The levers 19 are swung upwardly to latching position withthe notches 23 after which, the person climbs upon the float from thewater and steps upon the cylinder 17. After he has balanced himself uponthe cylinder, he releases the latch devices 14, permitting the roller tofreely rotate and, as in the well known sport of birling or log rolling,he attempts to maintain his balance upon the cylinder, while'it is beingrotated with his feet. The latches, formed by the 3 levers 19 may or maynot be employed but, when they are not employed they will lie flush withthe surface of the cylinder to prevent injury. One or two persons maymount the device from opposite floats 5 and, each attempting tounbalance the other so that he will be thrown into the water.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form ofamusement device has been provided, the structure is extremely simple,while the floats may be economically molded from the well knownpolystyrene foam such being recognized as the material having a highdegree of buoyancy. As before stated the hubs 13, also being formed of asimilar material to the floats, may be molded into the floats during themanufacture. The device is easily assembled and provides anexceptionally interesting sport device for use in restricted waterareas, such as swimming pools, lakes or the like. Any suitable anchormay be connected to an eye 27, carried by the keel intermediate itslength and whereby to maintain the device in a relatively fixed positionwithin the water. The device is strong, durable, cheap to manufactureand provides a highly amusing form of article for water sports.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fallwithin the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement device of the character described for use as a watersport and of the type known as birling or log rolling, the devicecomprising a pair of spaced apart floats, that are rigidly connectedtogether, an elongated cylinder that extends between the floats and withits opposite ends being journaled in the floats whereby the cylinderwill be freely rotatable and latch means whereby to latch the cylinderagainst rotation during such times as persons are mounting the cylinderfrom either of the floats.

2. An amusement device of the character described for use as a watersport and known as birling or log rolling, the device embodying a pairof float devices that are formed of buoyant material and with the floatdevices having each a flat surface upon which persons may climb upon thedevice, each of the float devices intermediate their lengths beingprovided with a depending web portion, a keel device that extendsbetween each of the floats to be fixedly connected to the webportions'and whereby the floats are maintained in a predetermined spacedrelation, each of the floats being provided with stub shafts thatproject in axial alignment with each other and in opposed relation, anelongated cylinder that extends between the floats and having itsopposite ends journaled upon the stub shafts and latch devices carriedby the cylinder and that are shiftable to latched engagement with thefloats to prevent the cylinder from 4 rotating during such time as aperson is stepping thereon.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the floats are providedwith lateral wing portions and with the floats being formed of expandedplastics.

4. An amusement device of the character described for support upon thesurface of water and to constitute a birling or log rolling game, a pairof spaced apart floats, a depending keel fixedly connecting the floatsin their spaced apart relation, the floats being molded from expandedplastics, hubs molded into the floats intermediate their ends and witheach of the hubs of the two floats being in an opposed relation, thehubs having circumferential flanges upon their Opposed faces, stubshafts molded into the hubs and that project forwardly of the hubs inaxial alignment, an elongated cylinder that extends between the floatsto engage within the circumferential flanges, bearing members engagedwithin the opposite ends of the cylinder and that are rotatablysupported upon the stub shafts and whereby the cylinder will be freelyrotatable under the influence of a person standing thereon, latchdevices carried at each end of the cylinder and that are disposed inflush arrangement with the surface of the cylinder in their inactiveposi' tions, the latches being shifted upwardly through openings formedin the cylinder to engage a notch formed in each of the flanges and aconnecting eye carried intermediate the length of the keel and wherebyto attach an anchoring device. v

5. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the hubs are also formedof expanded plastics, the said keel comprising side plates that arespaced apart by connecting longitudinally extending webs, the saidfloats being provided with depending integral web portions intermediatetheir length and with the plates being bolted to the webs, the saidlatch devices including latch levers that are pivotally supported attheir lower ends in bracket devices mounted within the ends of thecylinder, the said cylinder being cut away to permit the swingingmovement of the latch to flush relation with the outer surface of thecylinder, the, said latch arms being shiftable upwardly to engage anotch formed in the hubs and whereby .to'maintain the cylinder againstrotation during the time a person is stepping from the float to thecylinder and spring tension means of the past center type that serves tomaintain the arm in either an operative or inoperative position againstaccidental movement.

6. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the surface of thecylinder is roughened to prevent the slipping of thefeet of the usertherefrom.

7. The structure according to claim 4 wherein the cylinder isprovided-with a friction sleeve for its full length.

Trenholm June 3, 1930 Kent Oct. 10, 1939

